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Team Rapha-FOCUS Claims Elite and U23 Cyclocross USA National Championships
Jeremy Powers caps phenomenal season with first Elite National Title. Zach McDonald takes U23 honors
Putting an exclamation point on a truly dominant performance during the 2011-12 US cyclocross season, Team Rapha-FOCUS rode their FOCUS Mares CX to two national titles in Madison, WI. After claiming five wins this season, including the overall title for the US Gran Prix of Cylocross, Jeremy “J-Pow” Powers stood on the top step of the podium for the men’s Elite event. Teammate Zach McDonald did the same in the U23 race.
McDonald took his title first, and did so in a dominant manner. Eventual silver medalist Cody Kaiser got the holeshot, riding with McDonald for a few laps before the Rapha-FOCUS rider dropped the hammer – and Kaiser. Using his superior technical skills to negotiate off-camber turns and slick conditions, McDonald crossed the line a full two minutes ahead of Kaiser – plenty of time to triumphantly pop his signature one-handed wheelie.
- Jeremy "JPow" Powers
- Zach McDonald
The elite race was more closely fought, with a group of six battling it out for the stars-and-bars. Powers was joined at the front of the field by Ryan Trebon, Tim Johnson, and Jonathan Page – all former national champs – plus Rapha-FOCUS teammates Chris Jones and McDonald, who was back for a second helping of pain. With two laps to go, J-Pow put in a surge none could follow and rode clear for the win ahead of Trebon and Page. Reminding everyone that he is a true force for the future, McDonald crossed the line in fourth.
“It’s the biggest win of my life,” an emotional Powers said. “It’s been such a long time coming. I’m so happy. So many people put so much effort into me. I’m on top of the world. There aren’t words to describe how I feel right now.”
"I just wanted to keep it hard the whole race because of the luck I've had in the past,” said McDonald following his victory. “I wanted to have a little bit of room for error so I got the gap and settled in. That was the goal and it worked out.”
Powers, McDonald and Jones all rode the FOCUS Mares CX in Madison. The full-carbon Mares CX framesets are the ultimate blend of light weight, stiffness and vibration dampening. The Mares CX features a BB30 bottom bracket for superior power transfer and a re-designed “Bulldog” all-carbon fork that virtually eliminates brake chatter.